One of the best new cartoons of 2010 was Cartoon Network’s Generator Rex. Created by “Man of Action” (the team behind Ben 10, etc.), the show tells the tale of a post-apocalyptic Earth where nanites have infected every living thing. Supposedly beneficial, these tiny robots occasionally go berserk and turn humans and animals into horrific monsters called EVOs, Exponentially Variegated Organisms. In order to combat this constant threat the organization Providence came into being, but its only mandate was destruction. That was until its agents discovered the amnesiac teenage boy known as Rex. He alone out of the entire population of Earth can control nanites, which manifests in his ability to create weapons and equipment out of his own body and shut down nanites in others, effectively curing them! While the first season of Generator Rex may have just ended, Mattel has now released the line of figures. Today we’re going to take a look at four of the initial basic figure lineup.

Generator Rex figures come in basic bubble and card J-hook packaging, designed to line the racks at your local toy stores and attract its young viewers. It’s very colorful with lots of blue, yellow, and orange, and features the show’s logo and an image of Rex at the top. Each figure and its accessories are encapsulated in a clear bubble that’s shaped like the show’s iconic gear symbol, which is pretty cool. At the bottom of the bubble is the name of the figure, which a small sticker to the left tells you which EVO is packed in with it.

The back of the card (basically the same for each figure in the line) has a very brief description of the show and a “Collect Them All!” listing of the basic figures and one of the higher end items. There’s nothing particularly innovative about the packaging, but it looks crisp and the gear-shaped bubbly is pretty cool.

Through his many battles with EVOs, Rex comes to rely on a specific set of attacks and semi-transformations. The lineup of basic figures then was a no-brainer, and includes just about all of the ones that don’t require a much larger figure (those are reserved for higher price points). The three that I’ve collected here are all highly offensive measures, consisting of giant fists, a huge sword, and an even bigger saw blade (there’s one more Rex in this wave with huge feet). Thankfully Mattel went the extra step and differentiated the costumes on each of these figures, so they’re not just different in relation to their nanite weaponry. Finally, the initial lineup has an ally in Agent Six and two villains: Van Kleiss and the awesomely creepy Biowulf!

The figures are around 4 inches tall and appropriately designed for kids so you’re not going to find a huge amount of articulation. Sculpts are pretty good and nicely varied, with some clothing details popping up on the Rex figures nicely contrasting with the mechanical EVO-fighting parts. There’s some very cool intricate circuitry on the hero’s arms as well and it’s great that each head sculpt is unique ranging from standard (Smack Hands) to determined (Battle Saw) and fierce (Big Fat Sword). Biowulf has a generally smooth main body but detailed “fur” and excellent claws. Of the rest of the figures, Van Kleiss has another stand out sculpt while Six is pretty average.

Paint is bright and screen accurate as much as possible. Rex’s standard outfit is recreated in the dubious color scheme of red, orange, blue, black, and white, while his “tactical suit” is much darker in navy with brown harness and belts. Silver is used to great effect on a lot of the weaponry along with the iconic bright orange. Battle Saw Rex has the best paint job with very cool circuitry designs all the way up his right arm and moving onto his chest. Each Rex is further adorned with his slightly yellowish skin tone, orange goggles, and black hair and eyes. Biowulf is primarily purple and light gray, with maroon details on the shoulders, claws, and eyes. The small EVO accessories are each one color solid plastic. Overall the paint applications are pretty good for mass market kids’ toys, but there are also the usual sloppy edges. When you’re selecting your figures you should peruse what’s on the pegs and find the best paint jobs.

Articulation on the Generator Rex figures is also pretty average. Of these three Rex figures none have any joints below the torso except for hips – no waist, knees, or ankles. Upper body articulation is better, and depends on the type of weaponry involved. Smack Hands Rex has joints at the neck, shoulders, elbows, and rotating fists. The Battle Saw and Big Fat Sword versions are jointed at the neck, shoulders, right bicep, and right elbow. Of course, the Battle Saw’s blade also spins. Biowulf is articulated with a ball-jointed neck, shoulders, elbows, ab crunch, and hips. Poseability and stability are a bit challenging especially with the oversized weapons, but not impossible. Of course, kids will love playing with these regardless of how well they stand on their own!

Thus far, the Generator Rex basic figures are very light on accessories, which makes sense since all of Rex’s are part of his body! Fists and blades are built in and non-removable, and Biowulf too has no extra parts. Articulation on the other figures in the line seems to be pretty similar, though Agent Six is more poseable. Each figure comes with a small EVO accessory. As mentioned above, these toys are solid plastic in one color, and represent different monsters seen on the show. They’re more cute than scary, but it’s always nice to have some kind of pack in with your figures! Agent Six also comes with his trademark swords, and hopefully one day we’ll get a Bobo with his blasters.

If you’re a fan of Generator Rex like me, you’ll probably be happy to have any toys from it. I think Mattel made an excellent decision in going with the 4 inch scale rather than a larger format like the ill-fated Secret Saturdays figures. These toys are not overly simple, but instead have some interesting qualities like Rex’s various weapons and looks. There are even variants of the Big Fat Sword and Battle Saw figures with other costumes! Of these initial figures the Battle Saw Rex is definitely the star with his cool weapon, sleek goggled look, and great circuitry design. There’s no real dud either which is nice. Hopefully the show will continue to be popular and we’ll get more cool figures!